PM: Gov't concerned many Jamaicans left homeless by acts of violence

By Clinton McGregor    

 

Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness says the government is increasingly concerned that domestic violence and attacks by criminals against households have left many Jamaicans homeless.

 

Speaking Friday at a handing over ceremony in St. Mary under the government's national social housing programme, Dr. Holness argued that violent confrontations among family members have left many homeless. 

 

"Domestic violence within the family is separating households, dislodging people from their housing and creating, in effect, a homeless crisis," he warned.  

 

"Under this programme, we have seen persons dispossessed of their housing, not only because of catastrophes such as weather events or fire, but we have seen situations of arson. We have seen situations of domestic abuse where partners, intimate partner violence would have caused people to flee their homes. And we have seen situations of domestic disputes, disputes between families which have caused households to separate members of the household to become homeless," added the Prime Minister. 

 

He said 300 houses are under construction or have been delivered by the government to vulnerable people.

 

Some 6,000 houses are targeted for construction under the national social housing programme.